Standardisation: Key to Success

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Morgan Frederick Fowler
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1 COCTALES The Newsletter of BWF Technical Officials OCT 2016 EDITION NO. 13 OBRIGADO RIO! Standardisation: Key to Success The chance to officiate in the Olympic Games comes once every four years and it is a priceless moment for a technical official. Those who were privileged to do so at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games now have indelible memories, some of which have been shared in this edition. Pictured above are the referees, umpires and medical team assigned to the Badminton Competition for Rio Education and standardisation were the focus of a recent workshop for BWF Referees, with an emphasis on making quick, informed, correct and consistent decisions. The BWF Technical Official Commission (TOC), which held the two-day session, stressed this is crucial so players and entourage are confident that similar situations are treated equally. All referees were asked to discuss various scenarios in order to find common solutions. In particular, participants focused on situations where referees had doubts or had been uncertain about a decision at a tournament. These examples triggered lively debate during the September gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The workshop also provided an ideal opportunity for the TOC and its new Chairman, Gilles Cavert, to present ideas and proposals for referee appraisals and monitoring, as well as educational material under development. BWF Events Chair Peter Tarcala himself a BWF Referee before assuming his current role welcomed participants to the workshop and highlighted the importance of teamwork; whether between referees, BWF Events staff, umpires, umpire assessors, as well as the local Organising Committee. It is a key ingredient in hosting a successful tournament. It is the referee s responsibility therefore to ensure teamwork is established and maintained throughout the event. As Chairman of the BWF Referee Assessment Panel, Torsten Berg led the discussions. He encouraged the referees to carefully study and understand all circulars sent from the office carefully. In the 2014 Paris workshop, there was a demand for more information and guidance. This was taken on board, so it is now up to each referee to understand and implement the directions and guidance provided. Berg stressed the changing role of the referee, with increasing focus on presentation. As commercial success and prize money continues to grow, television production and presentation have become increasingly important. That said, our responsibility remains to ensure a fair match on court, in accordance to the Laws and regulations. It is the referee s responsibility to ensure this happens, said Berg. Some of the issues discussed and the conclusions are highlighted below: Injuries on Court: There was an incident in Women s Singles at Rio 2016 Olympic Games. A team doctor came onto court without permission as the referee was focused on the player in question along with the BWF Tournament Doctor. It was agreed that in such a situation any available deputies should be courtside to assist. Player Clothing: It was agreed that when a player changes the colours of his/her shirt during a match causing a clash of colours with the opponent, referees should react the same way as with clothing offences and therefore try to prevent it from happening. If this is not possible, then they should note the situation in their report, resulting in a penalty of US$250. If the referee thinks the player is deliberately repeating this breach, there is the possibility of increasing the fine and/or potential disciplinary action. Continues on page 4

PAGE 2 EDITOR S MESSAGE It s only fitting that we focus this edition on the views of our technical officials who officiated at Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Officiating at any match at the Olympic Games is the highest honour.

2 PAGE 2 EDITOR S MESSAGE It s only fitting that we focus this edition on the views of our technical officials who officiated at Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The television coverage which I saw was superb and the Games was another fantastic showcase and platform from which to catapult badminton s profile. Officiating at any match at the Olympic Games is the highest honour. How proud you must have been taking the court; knowing each player had fought their entire career to be there, to show their talent to the world and ultimately go home with a medal. What moments to cherish or if you did not go this time to aspire to! Happy reading! Regards Vanessa Freeman Editor-in-Chief FROM THE CHAIR BY Gilles Cavert improving with the times We are into the last quarter of 2016 and BWF TOs have been busy in the past few months, particularly with the tremendous experience of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. We are now looking forward to the remaining MetLife BWF World Superseries and BWF Grand Prix Gold tournaments in Asia and Europe, finishing with the Dubai World Superseries Finals in December. As mentioned previously, badminton is improving, the expectations of our stakeholders are increasing and so must the level of performance of each BWF TO. In connection with this objective, I would like to highlight three major criteria: Willingness to improve and adapt Resilience Humility BWF workshops and seminars are essential in making TOs aware of new BWF strategies and policies, but also to provide the latest updates regarding on-court priorities relating to the Laws and Regulation Changes. The BWF Referee Workshop held in Kuala Lumpur in September, attended by almost all of our referee workforce, was very successful and constructive. It is great to have such active support from BWF Events Chair Peter Tarcala, and also BWF staff including Events Officer Selena Lim and Senior Technical Events Manager Chris Trenholme. All the participants benefited from the expertise and experience of numerous speakers including: Umpire Assessor Yau Lin Na who analyzed cooperation issues between umpire assessors and referees BWF Events Director Darren Parks who presented the BWF Strategic Plan Rio 2016 Referees Mojmir Hnilica, Jane Wheatley, Nahathai Sornprachum and Ronny De Vos who spoke about their Games experiences Referee Assessors Torsten Berg, Ernest Robinson, and Isabelle Jobard who help facilitate discussion about refereeing issues BWF Chief Operating Officer Stuart Borrie and BWF Integrity Unit Manager Andy Hines-Randle who presented on BWF s Integrity Campaign and the battle against match fixing The first level of TO educational resources should be completed in early 2017, thanks to the ongoing support of writer Mike Wright, BWF Educational Resources Manager Sharon Springer, and Chris Trenholme. These resources will serve to support the development of TOs worldwide, leading to a larger, more-trained workforce from which to present our sport to all. Lastly, I am excited by the steps we are taking to implement a semiprofessional workforce of TOs, including, as a first step, the selection process for referees next year.

PAGE 3 Memories of Rio 2016 Uday Sane (IND): Umpire Mixed Doubles: Gold-Medal Match It was a great opportunity to umpire at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, especially the Mixed Doubles gold-medal match.

3 PAGE 3 Memories of Rio 2016 Uday Sane (IND): Umpire Mixed Doubles: Gold-Medal Match It was a great opportunity to umpire at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, especially the Mixed Doubles gold-medal match. It was my first Olympic Games and definitely one of my best experiences in my 30-year umpiring career. I was thrilled to officiate such an important match. The atmosphere was extremely intense with scores of sports fanatics from Malaysia and Indonesia. When I umpired the Men s Singles final of the Yonex All England Open 2015, the crowd was very disciplined; the gold-medal match in Rio it was very boisterous non-stop cheering. While the level of responsibility you shoulder is high, the experience is definitely worth the pressure to perform! It is very important to focus on the match and not become distracted. This is particularly hard when you know how many eyes are watching all over the world. Concentration is a must for such matches. I find it helps to almost go deaf and ignore the noises around me and only focus on the players, shuttles, and on-court technical officials. There was an embarrassing incident when my concentration lapsed momentarily and I missed a service fault called by the service judge. I was concentrating too much on the receiver. This incident helped raise my performance for the rest of the match and no other mishaps occurred. Fortunately, my experience has taught me to control my embarrassment, refocus and move on. Anyone can make a mistake, the real test is to overcome the error and resume focusing on the game. Sandie Zheng (CHN): Service Judge Mixed Doubles: Gold-Medal Match I felt great pride and honor to officiate in the Mixed Doubles goldmedal match in Rio which featured so many amazing rallies. It was obvious that every player had a very strong desire to win. I could feel their pressure. So the thought that the game is for the players was always in the forefront of my mind. It goes without saying that making correct and fair decisions is essential and I am pleased to say we did. In my experience, to be qualified to officiate at the highest-level matches, umpires must do the following: Strong understanding and interpretation of the Laws of Badminton, RTTO and all the corresponding regulations and rules. Concentration, alertness and complete control over all aspects of any match from start to finish. The ability to concentrate on the job disregarding what is happening elsewhere. Be mentally alert and show the ability to read the game, anticipate what can happen and prevent bad things from happening, by controlling the situation. Consistency and accuracy in all aspects of umpiring and service judging. This is what the players most want from us. Prompt and good decision making: quick, clear, fair and timely, ignoring outside influences. The ability to work as a team and good communication with the players and other court officials, using eye contact. Especially the communication between the umpire and the service judge as soon as the service is delivered because on many occasions, due to the loud noise from spectators, this is the only way for the umpire to know if a service fault has been called. Empathy for the game: If you respect the players, they will respect you. It was such a privilege to be part of the Olympic Games and I m very thankful to BWF for selecting me as one of the umpires.

PAGE 4 Diraj Gooneadry (MRI): Service Judge Men s Singles: Gold-Medal Match To be selected as an umpire for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games gave me a great sense of pride as this is one of the most

4 PAGE 4 Diraj Gooneadry (MRI): Service Judge Men s Singles: Gold-Medal Match To be selected as an umpire for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games gave me a great sense of pride as this is one of the most prestigious assignments of an umpire s career. To be appointed for a gold-medal match is the pinnacle experience of the tournament. As such, I was honored to have been appointed as the service judge for the Men s Singles gold-medal match. The match was one of the most exciting I have ever seen. When Chen Long won, it was an incredible sight. He cried with joy and happiness. This was the best part of my umpiring career. For all my colleagues who have the opportunity to officiate at future Olympic Games, my advice is to enjoy every match for which you are on court, as it s such a wonderful experience. Of course to be appointed for a final is excellent, but every match at the Olympic Games has its unique flavor. As you know, to officiate at the highest level of badminton necessitates sacrifices which can impact our family life, professional life, and other interests. For those who are looking to progress in their careers in badminton, preparation and practical experience are crucial. BWF invests a lot of money in developing umpires around the world, and is working with the continental confederations and member associations on development opportunities; these include educational resources for technical officials globally, and the future semi-professionalisation of the workforce. Please take advantage of these development opportunities and don t be afraid to ask for the help and guidance from those around you, including more experienced umpires and BWF Umpire Assessors. I would like to thank BWF, the Badminton Confederation of Africa, and the Mauritius Badminton Association for their support in achieving my goals. Continued from page 1 Law 19 on the definition of clothing was discussed in light of recent developments both in clothing style and in sports wear adapted for religious or traditional customs. It was concluded that the current wording provides flexibility for the referee to cater for global clothing variations, because of climate, religion or other reasons. The referees were instructed to always administer this clause with care and common sense, and generally allow clothing variations if a player has a good reason. Furthermore, referees were reminded that after 1 July 2016, they must enforce the regulation requiring the correct use of the name on the back of players shirts. The name on the back of the shirt must be the same as the last name used in the BWF database. Full notes on these and other workshop discussions will be sent to all BWF referees, TOC, the CCs and other interested parties in due course. Semi-Professional Referees: On the second day of the workshop Events Director Darren Parks and Senior Technical Events Manager Chris Trenholme presented the TOC plans to introduce semi-professional referees (and umpires later). A lively discussion ensued and proposals will now be developed for the TOC meeting and Council. The outcome will be presented in one of the next issues of COC-tales. TO Educational Resources: Finally, the new educational material, currently under development with Mike Wright as the pen for all Technical Officials, was reviewed. The BWF and TOC were happy with the outcomes of the two days of lively discussion. Participants were inspired to continue their voluntary work with greater knowledge to resolve the challenges that BWF Referees may encounter on and off court.

PAGE 5 Edy Rufianto (INA): Umpire Men s Singles: Gold-Medal Match The Rio 2016 Olympic Games was my second Olympic assignment (Beijing 2008 being the first) and it was another amazing experience as

At Beijing 2008, it was Lin Dan (CHN) versus Lee Chong Wei (MAS), and at Rio 2016, Chen Long (CHN) versus Lee Chong Wei again.

5 PAGE 5 Edy Rufianto (INA): Umpire Men s Singles: Gold-Medal Match The Rio 2016 Olympic Games was my second Olympic assignment (Beijing 2008 being the first) and it was another amazing experience as an international umpire. I am most grateful to have had an opportunity to officiate at two Olympic Games, and the Men s Singles final at both. At Beijing 2008, it was Lin Dan (CHN) versus Lee Chong Wei (MAS), and at Rio 2016, Chen Long (CHN) versus Lee Chong Wei again. After becoming a BWF Accredited Umpire in 1992, the Olympic Games has by far been my biggest personal achievement of my officiating career personally, for my family and for my country. This kind of happiness and achievement was not just having been assigned to umpire a gold-medal match, but more importantly to officiate the match smoothly and successfully. For me, the key to successful umpiring is being fit, as having a healthy body equals effective concentration on court. Therefore, before I umpired the final, I had a good rest, light exercise and cleared my mind to ensure I was ready to officiate. Erik Kirt (DEN): Umpire Men s Doubles: Gold-Medal Umpiring the Men s Doubles gold-medal final in Rio was definitely my best umpiring experience and came as a surprise as I did not expect to umpire a gold-medal match when I began my journey to Rio. I was happy with my performance in all the matches in which I officiated but I still did not expect to be selected as umpire for one of the finals. Knowing that Rio would be the first and last Olympics for me, I am truly grateful to have had this opportunity. As I waited to walk on court with the other TOs for my final, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I managed to kill them with a few deep breaths and then I felt more relaxed and during the match I felt surprisingly calm. I remember that I noticed how calm I felt and that I was a little surprised given the importance of the match. That said, I told myself not to become too relaxed. Continues on page 6

Continued from page 5 PAGE 6 If I was to advise my colleagues one of the facts that reassured me was that Bert Van Horenbeeck (RSA) was service-judging.

6 Continued from page 5 PAGE 6 If I was to advise my colleagues one of the facts that reassured me was that Bert Van Horenbeeck (RSA) was service-judging. I knew that I could rely on his chair and that he would be following the match carefully ready to assist in case I needed it. Knowing you can rely on your service judge is very reassuring. If I was to advise my colleagues on what is most important to ensuring the best performance as an umpire on court, I would say: Understand the Laws, RTTO and codes of conduct thoroughly. I have often been asked questions by other umpires like: What is the terminology in this or that case? I do not mind answering, but even an umpire who has just started umpiring can (and should) read what the RTTO says about cases. Start well as it is good for your self-confidence. If you get the scoresheet early, spend time rehearsing the names of players before going on court. Rehearse your presentation of the players while they are knocking up. Pay attention for one or two seconds to the player who has just lost a rally before concentrating on your scoresheet, palm etc. especially if that player made a mistake and lost. On court, if the shuttle lands close to a line, wait with the announcement and do not press a point until you are sure that there will be no challenge. If the point is challenged after announcing player X challenges, called in (or out), it helps me to rehearse in my head what to announce in the two different scenarios, in or out, while waiting seconds for the call from the IRS. If you umpire without IRS, if the shuttle lands close to a line, call the score or service over as soon as possible after the line call (if the line judge seems to be sure) to prevent complaints from players. Kelly Hoare (AUS): Umpire Women s Singles: Gold-Medal Match I had the honour of umpiring the Women s Singles gold-medal match between Carolina Marin (ESP) and PV Sindhu (IND). My service judge was Eric Desroches (CAN). Although Eric and I had never worked together before this match, we certainly worked well as a team which showed on the court. It s always encouraging to look at your service judge and see them smiling, nodding and giving you the thumbs-up. You are always nervous before any match, well you should be, but once the toss was out of the way, I settled into the match quite comfortably. The match itself was very exciting and well fought, however, one of my concerns was hoping my shoes would not fall off, as the rungs for the chair were too far apart and being short I could not rest my feet on the rung below, so they just had to hang there as if I was sitting in a high chair. The atmosphere in the arena was fantastic for a match featuring two countries which had never won a gold medal before in badminton. This made for great viewing and it is something I will always treasure.

PAGE 7 calendar of events upcoming workshops, Meetings, Appraisals and Assessments Umpire Appraisals and BWF Accredited Umpire Assessments, THAIHOT China Open, 15-20 November 2016, Fuzhou, China

7 PAGE 7 calendar of events upcoming workshops, Meetings, Appraisals and Assessments Umpire Appraisals and BWF Accredited Umpire Assessments, THAIHOT China Open, November 2016, Fuzhou, China Umpire Appraisals, Dubai World Superseries Finals, December 2016, Dubai, UAE BWF Accredited Referee Assessment Workshop, in conjunction with the YONEX All England Open, March 2017, Birmingham, ENG Umpire Appraisals, Swiss Open, March 2017, Basel, SUI Umpire Appraisals and Workshop, YONEX SUNRISE India Open, 28 March 2 April 2017, New Delhi, IND Umpire Appraisals, Malaysia Open, 4-9 April 2017, Kuala Lumpur, MAS Umpire Appraisals and BWF Accredited Umpire Assessments, OUE Singapore Open 2017, April 2017, Singapore Umpire Appraisals, Workshop, and BWF Certificated Umpire Assessments, TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017, May 2017, Gold Coast, Australia Umpire Appraisals and Workshop, BCA Indonesia Open, June 2017, Jakarta, INA Umpire Assessor Workshop, in conjunction with the TOTAL BWF World Championships, August 2017, Glasgow, Scotland Umpire Appraisals and BWF Accredited Umpire Assessments, TOTAL BWF World Championships 2017, August 2017, Glasgow, Scotland Technical Official Commission Meeting, in conjunction with the TOTAL BWF World Championships 2017, August 2017, Glasgow, Scotland Umpire Appraisals, VICTOR Korea Open, September 2017, Seoul, KOR Umpire Appraisals, YONEX Denmark Open, October 2017, Odense, DEN Umpire Appraisals, YONEX French Open, October 2017, Paris, FRA Umpire Appraisals, Scottish Open, November 2017, SCO Umpire Appraisals, Dubai World Superseries Finals, December 2017, Dubai, UAE

NOVEMBER 2015 EDITION NO. 9

COCTALES The Newsletter of BWF Technical Officials NOVEMBER 2015 EDITION NO. 9 GOOD JOB: A line judge bumps fists with tournament mascot, Plumy, at the finals of the Yonex French Open 2015. Umpiring -